Running Dog Training: Juni 2016

Evil Beavers!

Sure, they look innocent enough:

But the dead stumps from 20 dead baby oak trees out on our new property tell a different story! Today we fought back. First Mark and Monica un-log-jammed the bridge, which the beavers had taken over, we assume to build their lodge:

While I do feel sorry for them and do not want to create downtrodden, homeless beavers, we do not want the backed-up creek flooding our (that sounds so cool!) new property. We compromised and loosened up the logs jam but left the bulk of their underwater home intact.

Next we worked on building wire cages to place around the base of the baby trees (mostly oak, which must be very tasty for beavers, since more than half of the trees have recently been buzz sawed by the buck-toothed bandits!)

Besides building our hopefully beaver-proof tree cages, we also sprayed the trees with an animal repellent that will supposedly cause an "instant state of fear" in beavers. It smelled REALLY bad, so I imagine it may actually work. We will know soon enough!

Dog Bully Behavior How to help protect your dog from getting picked on

I recently wrote about this situation in my weekly doggie advice column on the Noozhawk. "Anxious in Austin" has a cocker spaniel that seemed to be terrorized by the neighbor’s "nightmare of a Pomeranian". When situations like this arise, it is important to be able to recognize appropriate dog play…

Venture to any off-leash dog arena and these are the types of behaviors you’ll likely see being displayed:

dogs chasing after other dogs
dogs being chased
mouthing
nipping
tugging
chest banging
pinning
wrestling
rolling
mounting

But when it’s “play,” it’s reciprocal and consensual! Those are a couple key factors! Reciprocal and consensual! Other notable elements of proper play are:

Big, inefficient movements amongst all involved. Think “Three Stooges” versus Muhammad Ali.
Self-interruption: One dog will stop for a second or two to take a break, others follow by taking a break as well.
Good “listening” skills: If one dog no longer wants to play, they will communicate as such, and the other dog will comply and go in search of another playmate.

When dogs arent exhibiting healthy dog play behaviors, there are several things you, as a responsibly aware dog guardian can do.

The goal: to help your dog build trust and self-confidence. You can easily do this by rewarding your dog for being brave. EX: your dog looks at, approaches gently, or investigates another dog, he or she gets a yummy food reward, and lots of "cheerleading happy talk". You can also reward with food and praise if another dog approaches your dog to say *hi*. This is similar to encouraging young children to make new friends. As humans we use encouraging verbal language and praise to help children deal with shyness and novel experiences. We can do the same for our pet dogs too. Through food, your dog learns to trust, while making positive associations with other dogs they meet.

Additional techniques that may come in handy…

Manage your environment or “avoid” if necessary: This is for when you don’t have the right kind of rewards handy, you don’t have the time to train, or you just don’t feel like dealing with the situation.
Come up with your best “spin”: “I’m so sorry, I’m running late today and don’t have time to stop. How about another time?” “Oh geez, wouldn’t you know it, I’ve only got a couple of minutes to get my dog exercise, so I’m gonna have to take a rain check. Thanks though!”
And with the convenience of modern gadgets, you can always be tied up on the phone, or even pretend to be on the phone - just make sure the ringers off so you don’t get a call while you’re faking it. I know, it’s a white lie, not very ethical. But hey, you’re doing it to protect your family and your sanity!
In the case with "Austin", maintain a friendly relationship between you and your neighbor: You can use some of the same techniques with your neighbor’s dog too. Bring a basket of muffins for your neighbor, and treats for both dogs. You can reward the Pom for being nice towards your dog, while continuing the treat plan with your Cocker. If the Pom begins to “act up” the rewards stop, and you suddenly remember you have to leave. You can also explain to your neighbor that you’re trying to help your dog overcome her shyness. Many people love to help and feel needed, so it’s a good time to fill her in on your plan and ask for assistance.
Dog training classes and doggy socials: even for dogs that are already trained, getting into classes helps build up or maintain trained skills, but also helps to keep dogs socialized. Sometimes classes are the only time dogs get to be around other dogs.

It’s important to be consistent when helping your dog learn to successfully conquer difficult situations. With a little patience, understanding, and time, even the shyest of dogs can make new friends, eventually leading to lots of play-dates!

The One And Only Dog Trainers Bible

An untrained pooch can feel a lot more like your worst enemy, although dogs may be regarded as mans closest friend. In case your dog isnt trained, neither of you will certainly be happy, and its vital that you take the time to train your furry friend properly.Here are a few puppy training ideas to help get you started.

When you find yourself training your dog or puppy that might be living indoors a very important thing to perform will be the crate training. The dogs first impressions of your crate are the most important. Try putting some dog treats around the crate and leading in it so that they can walk around and inside the crate. Make certain you are upbeat and positive so they know its a good thing.

Make use of your pets name whenever you want to have his attention. Try to do this at the very least 10 times each day, and not call the family pet to you personally by name to punish him. This will help you to gain better power over your dog and create a strong relationship.

It is very important go on a leadership role while training your pet. This does not mean you need to make an attempt to force your animal to bend to the will. Acting like a teacher and showing him what you wish him to do by rewarding his actions will help your pet succeed.

Consider hiring someone to help you train your pet. Just like playing a sports activity, pet training is really a skill that takes time and energy to develop. People have their own personal style, and it can be that how you will are interacting with your furry friend will not be quite working. Another person can help you find out how to tweak your training sessions so they are a much better fit for your so you pet.

When working on teaching your dog a command, keep training sessions short. It is much better to exercise your dog for 5 minutes, 3 times every day, than all-in-one 15 minute session. This may keep your dog focused. End the session, before your dog gets bored. This will keep him interested and wanting more.

You dont want to make your exercise sessions go on for days on end. At first do not talk about quarter-hour. For dogs who happen to be accustomed to training, you dont would like to look at about twenty or so minutes for basic training. When you notice your pet starting to get bored, stop the session for a day. In the event you try and push it. youll arrive at get irritated and things will go down hill. Its preferable to quite while youre ahead.

Associate hand gestures with individual commands to assist your pet remember what you can do. Even though the command words themselves might be enough of an idea to tell the canine what you can do - using a visual cue - supplies a method for your dog to not forget easier the best way to perform.

Never use human shampoo on the dog. While it can be tempting to have your pet smelling like your favorite shampoo, most hair products for humans are excessively harsh for a dogs sensitive skin. If you are in the pinch and should utilize a human shampoo, use one formulated being gentle enough to get a baby.

Dogs similar to people all their very own own personality. Some dogs can simply be harder to exercise than the others for reasons unknown. When someone features a dog like this that is not replying to training or otherwise acting difficult sometimes the best choice would be to seek an expert dog trainer for help and knowledge.

Allowing everyone in the family to tell your dog different things will completely defeat the goal of training him. Have got a family meeting or keep a long list of training your dog rules about the refrigerator to remind everybody that connect to the animal to be consistent with punishments, rewards and commands. Otherwise your dog are usually in a continuing state of confusion and each and every relative is going to be completely frustrated.

When you are training your pet on the certain behavior, search for a quiet spot to train him. Dogs can be simply distracted by everything around them. So, so as to keep your dogs attention around the task, perform initial learning a quiet room. Your pet dog will learn quicker this way.

Stay consistent when you are trying to train your pet. Use certain commands with the dog, and be sure that all of your current members of the family know and make use of them. Always reward an effective behavior and not a bad behavior. Once the people across the dog use different commands and responses, he may become confused and training could suffer.

Its vital that you understand any signals that your particular dog has got to make use of the restroom. Many dogs have certain behavior patterns that express a will need to go the lavatory. When you know their work before hand you will recognize that they need to go outside. Understand the dogs routines and habits to produce this process easier.

The results tend to be more than worth every penny, though training a pet dog might take lots of effort and time. The guidelines outlined in this article should help simplify the training process, and will assist you to see some results straight away. When others view your well-behaved dog, theyll be asking for you to pass the recommendation on the way.

Did I learn anything at Hollywood High

OMG! Thank goodness Ive chosen dog training and canine-human relationship coaching as a profession! After all, this is my true passion - something I love doing every day! Something I find so rewarding - in so many ways... Why do I bring this up? Well, its kinda embarrassing - but lets just say Im glad I didnt choose acting as a career...

I just got home from our local TV station CAPS - They were filming a piece on our local Ventura College Community Education program where I teach my Canine College manners class. Each instructor for the Kaleidoscope Program was given the opportunity to be filmed doing an intro to their class, plus having students there, or doing some sort of demo. Well, you would think that after being born and raised in Hollywood, attending Hollywood High, taking drama classes while there, and working in the entertainment industry for 14 years Id be able to stand in front of a camera and be completely comfortable AND talented! OMG NO WAY! It was a disaster...at least for me - in my own head...everyone else said I did fine...but oh brother, Im not sure what was more painful - me going through the whole thing, or those having to watch me? It was like watching a dying animal at the side of the road...

Thank goodness I have some wonderful students! There were Carol and Rico, Lisa and Ferris, Danika and Sophie, and Emilia and Nellie! Lorrie my wonderful "web marketing therapist" was there too with all of her support and love, plus she helped direct - and supplied me with my designer water like all the real actresses out there! Anyway, the entire group helped hold my hand and made me look good! I say they were the real stars!

Im thankful I was offered to do it! Karen Gorback the dean of the college program was kind enough to give me the opportunity, and I thank her for that - what doesnt kill us makes us stronger, right?

The programs that our local Community College offers are so much fun and rewarding... I wish I had more time, maybe Id take an acting or improv class... Until then Ill stick with helping humans and canines live harmoniously!

How to teach your dog to scratch your back

Newbear95 from youtube has some really inventive tricks that she does with her chihuahua. Here is a tutorial on how to teach your dog to scratch your back.

I gave the trick a try with Kiko, she simply loves scratching my back now!

Starting a Dog Blog

Okay, Im doing it... starting a blog. Unfortunately, Im starting it with a bit... okay, more than a bit... of frustration. I wrote my first post (yay!), then went to view it and it had old text I had written and my new text was gone. So my first post... gone! Breathe. Is it too early for a glass of wine?

Let me see if I can start this again and with better success. Rather than write my first post all over again, I think Ill just start with some background information about myself and how I came to be a dog trainer.

Weve always had dogs and cats in my family and my love of furry, four-legged friends started at an early age. We had a Black Lab when I was a toddler that unfortunately, my parents had to give away. Boy, do I wish I could go back in time to give them advice about that situation. Our 2nd dog was a sweet, but accident prone Irish Setter who was hit by a car. So far, my parents dont sound like ideal pet owners... but they did improve! It was our next dog that really made an impact in my life.

We got Penny, a Golden Retriever/Lab mix, when I was five. She was such a wonderful dog, a beloved member of our family, and we all mourned her loss when we had to put her sleep at age 14 1/2. To this day, I am a huge lover of Retrievers. I always thought my first dog would be a Golden, but it was a Black Lab puppy that came into my life and stole my heart. More about that later.

I remember, at some point in my early adulthood, thinking how great it would be to be a dog trainer. As a dog trainer, I could balance having a family and still find a way to work with animals. I took a different path for awhile, but its funny how things work out. After volunteering for three years with a dog rescue organization, I was invited to work for the founder who had his own dog training/boarding business. I worked for many years both with the rescue organization and as a dog trainer and manager for the dog training/boarding business.

Eventually, I had two kids and decided that staying home with them was the most important thing to me. But of course, there was my dream, looming right in front of me... I could stay home with my kids and still train dogs! So I started my own dog training business - 3 Dog Training.

And now, Ive started this. The blog was actually my husbands idea. Wait until I make him read all my posts. He may regret it! Im already full of so many ideas and information about dogs that Im happy to pass on. Now to find the time...

Boo The Cutest Dog Ever Has Millions Of Fans On Facebook

Could this be the cutest dog ever? Boo, The Cutest Dog Ever Has Millions Of Fans On Facebook. Well, that depends on ones perspective, people who owns a dog on their own obviously will be having a hard time to rate this objectively.

Here is a Pomeranian puppy that no doubt takes the cake as a cute dog on the face of this planet.
What is more noteworthy is that Boo has 3+ millions of fans on Facebook. Everyone loves boo, and how about you? Before you try to resist liking or even loving this particular dog, give it a chance and take a look at these photos below, and also there is one short video at the end of this entry, believe me you will not believe this is a dog, because you know what? in stills it looks more like a doll to me.

Boo, The Cutest Dog Ever Has Millions Of Fans On Facebook

Best of boo video:

Boo, The Cutest Dog Ever Has Millions Of Fans On Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/Boo

So, do you agree now? That Boo is The Cutest Dog Ever? It Has Millions Of Fans On Facebook already.

How to Fade A Lure when training with food

1 Get RID of the lure as soon as you can! The goal is within 3 trials.

2 If you dont have a clicker use a very short word like "yes!" or "yep!"

3 Always make it harder and harder, dont get stuck at the same level of criteria

4 If you go to far to quickly you can always go back a step

5 If your dog is not following the lure, get a smellier lure- real meat!

English Bulldog Puppy Training Basics

If you really wanna learn english bulldog puppy training basics then keep these simple basic rules in mind when you choose to do some training. I hope the best for you & your bulldog puppy training.

As someone one time said, "mastering dog training is an art". & that someone is me. Understanding your dogs responses & taking the right approach isnt only knowledge but an art, every dog trainer will train their dog slightly differently. The techniques of dog training is like an artists tools.

They may be using the same tools but each artist will paint a different picture.

Here are some simple yet effective guidelines you can follow when training your puppy.

1. Treats - Make positive your bulldog craves the treats. In the event that they dont get your bulldog excited, your bulldog may not need to go through the motion of listening to you. Yes, you need to buy your puppys attention with treats - like you can make a kid do anything for a piece of sweet!
English Bulldog Puppy Training Basics

2. Attention - Dont try to train your bulldog when he or he is not attentive. The most important aspect is to get your bulldogs attention so its focusing on the command & what youre trying to make them do. This goes hand in hand with lovely, tasty treats. Use treats to get attention & if your bulldog is worn out (or hyper) to listen to you, come back later.

3. Breaks - Take constant breaks when you notice your bulldogs performance is getting worse. As soon as your bulldog stops being attentive cease the training system altogether & come back a bit later.

4. Consistency - In case you werent successful at training a trick the first time you need to come back to it later! Dont rush your puppy as it can make him nervous. Take it simple on your tiny lad.

5. Puppy Age - If your puppy cant appear to grasp the tricks it may be because hes young. Normally, a puppy would must be at least 4-6 months elderly before learning the more difficult tricks, but puppy training ought to start as early as feasible.

If you can hold on to these steps above then youre good to go in mastering english bulldog puppy training basics.

Crate Training Your Dog Creating a Home Sweet Home atmosphere

Ive been working with many new puppy parents, as well as families that have recently adopted adult dogs. From each and every one, Ive received the proverbial crate question: "What do you think about me crate training my dog?" Fortunately I have an answer: I think you should. Why? For a few reasons.

Bedroom: Just like us humans, our domestic dogs need a place to call their own. A safe, comfortable, warm, cozy environment where they can be by themselves.
Retreat: A crate can also be that safe-haven "den" (or bedroom or crib) where they can retreat in times of stress. For instance, if youre having lots of company, and your dog is overwhelmed, they can go off on their own, with a yummy chew toy, and chew until they fall fast asleep.
Management: Those times when you dont have time to train your dog, or supervise and monitor their behavior, a crate can act as confinement to help set them up for success. If theyre in their crate, theyre not roaming about eliminating on the new rug or chewing up furniture.
Pet Preparedness: You never know when you might need to put your dog in a crate. Crate training is a huge part of Pet Preparedness. If you even need to evacuate because of disaster, many places will require that your pet be in a crate. As I mention in all of my dog training classes, dog training workshops, and private dog training clients, you want train it before you need it!

So, what are some of the best ways for you to get your dog used to their "sanctuary"? The training steps are pretty simple actually, but just like any new behavior, you need to teach them slowly, helping them create a positive association.

Creating a Home Sweet Home For Your Pooch: Crate Training Overview

How to make the crate the best place to be: The "Dos"

Take the time to teach your puppy or newly adopted adult dog that their crate is a fun, safe, relaxing place to be. Make it comfortable with bedding the individual dog finds comfortable (not what we humans think is)
Make sure the crate is large enough for your pup to be able to stand up turn around, and get comfortable.
Teach your pup to associate their crate with all good things.
Start slow and easy - treats for looking at the crate, going into the crate, then staying in the crate - for only a few seconds at a time. While youre still there with them.
Keep the door open until your pup is going in their on his own. Once your pup is going in on their own, you can begin closing the door, feed treats through the door. Let your pup out, then all treats stop. Hell soon learn that being in the crate is much more fun than being outside of it.
Feed him his meals in the crate
Chew bones in the crate
Food toys in the crate
Crates can still be used for a "Time Out" since the punishment is more about losing out on something the dog wanted, like freedom or playing with a family member or friend. A Time Out for a dog should only be for about 20 seconds. And, if they already have a positive association with their crate, and 99% of the time good things happen in their crate, then they shouldnt end up hating their crate. Just like when children are sent to their room, its not the room they hate but the fact that they lost out on participating in some other activity.

How to teach your puppy or newly adopted dog to hate their crate: "The Do NOTs"

Refrain from shoving your pup into the crate and slamming the door, and walking away.
Refrain from pushing your dog into the crate and leaving them there on their own, after never being left alone before.
Refrain from leaving them in the crate for so long that they soil their crate.
Refrain from using the crate for punishment only.
Refrain from using the crate as a "Time Out" because of house soiling or some sort of house destruction. The crate can and should be used for confinement when house-training. But, if a dog soils the carpet, its the humans fault, not the dogs. You dont want to inadvertently punish your dog for greeting you when you get home.

With time, patience, and consistency you too can get your dog to love their crate. You might create such a wonderful environment youll want to crawl in there too!

The last day

Blogger has been a pain in the neck lately and isnt always letting me upload photos. Hence the lack of posts. I hope to remedy that this week. I know I still have to report on my vacation to Montreal and the fabulous dog stores I visited while there. (You didnt know I was gone didja?) This is Jenny on our last full day of vacation (saturday) at the beach with our friend Prudence.

(Here is her website, Blogger isnt letting me link it properly either. Grrrr ~ http://ofcowstailsandchewtoys.com/)

I know, I suck. I didnt get ANY good photos of them together. Thats ok. They both had fun smelling everything (and wheedling treats out of their humans) and that was the important part of the outing.

Running Dog Training

Pages

Evil Beavers!

Dog Bully Behavior How to help protect your dog from getting picked on

The One And Only Dog Trainers Bible

Did I learn anything at Hollywood High

How to teach your dog to scratch your back

Starting a Dog Blog

Boo The Cutest Dog Ever Has Millions Of Fans On Facebook

How to Fade A Lure when training with food

English Bulldog Puppy Training Basics

Crate Training Your Dog Creating a Home Sweet Home atmosphere

The last day

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